Article · 15 min read

Your Guide to Product Qualified Leads (PQLs)

Kyle Poyar · OpenView Free Intermediate

The clearest breakdown of the three PQL types (hand-raiser, usage-based, needs-help) and the playbook each one deserves, which is the difference between a useful signal and a list nobody works.

  • PQLs convert at 15 to 30 percent, far higher than marketing qualified leads.
  • Only one in four SaaS companies actually runs a PQL strategy, unchanged year over year.
  • Sorts PQLs into three buckets: hand raisers, usage based, and needs help.
  • Speed of outreach matters more for PQLs than for any other lead source.
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It answers 5 questions

  1. I just joined a PLG company as my first GTM job. What do I actually do all day if the product sells itself?
  2. Sales wants to call every signup. How do I decide which ones deserve a human?
  3. How do I convert more trials without turning the product into a nagging upgrade prompt?
  4. How do I stop sales and the self-serve funnel from fighting over the same accounts?
  5. How do I build the data plumbing so activation signals reach sales while they still matter?

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